Windmill air-compressor



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. O. PERRY.

WINDMILL AIR COMPRESSOR. N0. 485 881. Patg nted NOV. 8, 1892.

mi wonms pawns co, woTo-umu, WASHINGTON, c7

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. O. PERRY.

WINDMILL AIR COMPRESSOR.

No 485,881. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

g mmn 7 ywwm h MW 3 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. 0. PERRY. I

WINDMILL AIR COMPRESSOR. No. 485,881. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIixjlglg' IQ il III IIIII IIII IIIIIIIII IIIII IIIIIII IIII(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. 0. PERRY. WINDMILL AIR COMPRESSOR.

Patented Nov. 8, 1892. 52y 9mg i FINN; IIIL Elihu.

.Eiiiiiiiiiii n hlN'Ill 74 ///////////////'//z snl lmllllll i Ins"UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS O. PERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WlNDMlLL AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 485,881, datedNovember 8,1892.

Application filed September 5, 1891. Serial No. 404,855. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHOMAS O. PERRY, acitizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a WindmillAir-Compressor, which are fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a windmilland my aircompressing devices annexed thereto. Fig. 2 is apartly-sectional elevation at the plane indicated by the line 2 2 onFig.1, showing the tower-top only partly cut by that plane and theremainder thereof in elevation. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 onFig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of that part of Fig. 2 alongsidewhich it is placed, showing the swiveljoints about the axis of the towerwhere the mill is pivoted thereto. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of aportion of Fig. 2, showing the swivel-like connections of the furlingmechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical detail section at the line 6 6 on Fig.2. Fig. 7 is a top plan of the mechanism seen in Fig. 1 with thewind-wheel removed from its shaft.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the top casting or cap of the aircompressorcylinders. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. lOis a verticalsection at 10 10 on Fig.8. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section at 11 11 onFig. "Fig. 12 is a vertical which supports the mill without interferingwith the turning of the mill about the vertical axis of the tower tokeep it faced toward the wind.

A represents, conventionally, a wind-wheel of any construction.

B is its shaft.

0 is the turn-table or frame in which the wheel-shaft is journaledandwhich is rotatable about a vertical axis on the tower-top D. The turntable comprises or supports as rigidly fixed upon it any desired numberof air-compressor cylinders C, four of such chambers being shown in thedrawings. The shaftB has as many cranks B as there are cylinders O, andthere being four such cranks in the structure represented in thedrawings. They are ninety degrees apart about the axis of the shaft B.The turn-table C has five bearings for the shaft B, one between each twoconsecutive cranks and one outside the cranks at each end of the series.The extreme bearing 0 next the mill is of good length and is formed atthe lower end of the downward limb 0 of the turn-table. The next bearing0 is adja cent to the tower-top and is formed'atthe lower end of themain trunk O of the turntable, said trunk being arranged, as hereinafterdescribed, to afford the swiveled con.- nection of the turn-table to thetower-top. The other three bearings C C C are each formed at thelower-end of a limb C 9, projecting down from thebody of the turn-tablefor that purpose. 1

G is the top plate or cap of all the cylinders C. It has for eachcylinder the chamber C and valve-seat C for the discharge-valve O. Saidchambers and the chamber C which is longitudinally between the first andsecond, chambers C at the lefti.e., next themillhave free communicationthrough the passages (3 so that the compressed air forced from all thecylinders enters finally the chamher 0 which is located axially in linewith the tower-top and communicates with the latter, which is hollow, ashereinafter explained.

C U G C are the plugs or caps of the valvechamber 0 and affordguide-bearings 0 for the valves 0 respectively. The main trunk C of theturn-table terminates at top and bottom in horizontal heads 0 C whichare pierced from the tower-top D and constitute the bearings of theturn-table on said towertop. Said tower-top is tubular and open'at theupper end, and at that end is provided with the shouldered collar D,which is made fast by an air-tight joint onto said tower-top, and by itsshoulder d affords a seat on which the upper head or bearing 0 of themain trunk 0 of the turn-table turns freely, and the lower bearing orhead 0 turns freely on the cylindrical tower-top at a distance below theupper end of the latter. For the purpose of making substantially-tightcommunication from the cylinders into the tower-top, I provide the tubeE, which is made fast by airtight joint to the under side of the chamberC in the cap C at the opening 0 in the bottom of said chamber C so thatthe chamber discharges through said pipe, and which maybe hereinafterreferred to as the compressedair-discharge pipe. This discharge-pipe maybe made of brass or copper. and its lower end enters and fits quiteclosely within the upper end of the tower-top, and it is reduced inthickness at that part marked e, so that when the compressed airis-con-tained within-it the interior pressure stretches-the metal of thedischarge-pipe at the part e and assists-it to make air-tight contact byitsouter surface with the inner surface of the'collar D, whichterminates the tower-top D. Each of'the cranks B, by means of asuitablepitman B operates a piston G in one of the cylinders C, said piston inits downstroke taking in air past the induction-valve "G' and in itsupstroke com-pressing and discharging the same through the port 0 pastto the ch'eclc mounted on and rotate with the turn-table,

must terminate in a fixed portion in order that connection may be madeto it to transmit the pressure to points at adistance, and thattherefore such compressed-air passage must comprise two parts, one ofwhich shall be fixed, while the other is 'carriedwith the rotatingturn-table, and in order that it may comprise two such parts-one fixedand the other rotatingthese two parts must be'swiveled together at somepoint and such swivelj'oint must be substantially coaxial with theturn-table. In the construction thus far described it will .be seen thatthese conditions are met because the tower-top itself, which is fixed inposition,constitutes part of the compressed-air-discharge passage, andthe compressed-air-discharge pipe E, constituting the portion of thecompressed-air passage which rotates the tower-top, is made coaxial withthe latter and swiveled thereto; but it will also be obvious that thisis not the only constru'ction'which will meet the requisite conditionsabove stated, and that such conditions mightbe met by extendinga compressed-air discharge pipe E down to any distance 00- axially with theturn-table and providing it with the swiveled connection to a portion ofpipe, and might therefore be an open framework, if preferred. Theessential feature of this modified construction is thatthe portion ofthe compressed-air-discharge pipe which is fixed to the turn-tablepasses within the bearings of the latter 'to the tower, and that theswivel-joint is substantially coaxial with the turn-table.

H represents the "furling-chain, by which the wind-mill isoperatedILO'COHEIOI'IIS relation to the wind'to cause it to operate more orless" powerfully. It is'connected in the usualway to the frame of thetail or rudder A, which is pivoted upon the vertical post H, rigid withthe turn-table C. The spring H connected at one end to the tail and atthe other end to the post-k on the turntable, tends to hold the tail inposition to keep the wheel facing the wind, and the furling-chaintherefore "operates against the spring to draw the-wheel more or lessoutof the wind. The

mechanical operation of thispart of the structure'is one which isfamiliar-in the art and need not be more specifically explained. Thefurling-chain is guided around the horizontal pulley h and the verticalpulley h journalcd on the turn-table and is connected to thefurling-rodfl This rod has slide-bearings at c and 0 adjacent tothe'bearings C and 0 respectively, of the turn-table on the tower-top,and it has a further slide-bearing 0 adjacent to the chamberG in the cap0 of the cylinders. Onto the top of the cap 0 there is secured a castingcomprising a cylinder G and adjacent to its upper part another cylinderG the former being in line vertically with the furli'ng-rodH and beingopen at the bottom, so that said rod may extend up into it. It issuitably closed at the top by a plug 9 In the cylinder G6 there is apiston G in the under side of which there is formed a socket or seat toreceive the upper end of said furling-rod. In the cylinder G7 there isalso a piston-valve G whose stem 9 extends from its lower side downthrough the lower head of the cylinder, and between the piston and saidlower head of the cylinder there is locatedthe spiral spring G re actingagainst the cylinder-head and piston to force the latter upwardi. e., indirection contrary to the air-pressure admitted to said cylinder, ashereinafter explained. The stem g is threaded, and upon it are appliedoutside the cylinder G7 nuts g, whereby the piston may be drawn down togive any desired tension to the spring G. The said merely a guide forthe piston-stem and a stop for the spring. The piston-valve G is ofconsiderable length relatively to the cylinder G7. From the upper end ofthe cylinder G a duct 9 leads into the cylinder G which it enters at ashort distance below the lower end of the latter, but at such distancethat its entrance is covered by the piston-valve G70 when the latter isin the position to which it is forced by the spring G Another duct gleads from the upper end of the cylinder G into the cylinder G which itenters at a point just below the lower end of the pistonvalve G when thelatter is at its highest position in the cylinder G so that at suchposition the duct 9 is not closed at its entrance into. the lattercylinder. A pipe C leads from the cavity in the cap C and, asillustrated, between the left-hand chamber and the chamber into thecylinder G", which said pipe enters through the port 9 above the highestposition of the cylinder G. The purpose of this construction of thecylinders G and G7 and their appurtenances is to cause the pressureproduced in the cylinders O, and thereby in the entire cavity in the cap0 from which the pipe 0 leads, to

regulate the mill by operating the furling-rod,

which it does as follows: The spring G being held at any desired tensionby nuts 9", the pistonvalve G will remain at its highest position in thecylinder G7 until the tension of the compressed air transmitted throughthe pipe C above the piston-valve G is sufficient to overcome thetension of the spring and force the piston-val ve down. When thepiston-valve has been thus forced downward far enough to uncover theduct 9 the airpressure is transmitted through said duct into thecylinder G above its piston G and tends to force said piston, andthereby the furling-rod, downward and cause the latter to furl thewindmill more or less, according to the tension of the compressed air.It will be observed that the first movement downward 'of thepiston-valve G closes the duct at its entrance into the cylinder G andthat it will remain cut ofi from communication wlth the outer air duringall the further downward movement and at all the lower positions of thepiston-valve G. If the furling of the mill should reduce the rate ofcompression of the air below the rate at which the compressed air isbeing employed or exhausted, so that the tension of the air in thecavity of the cap C should diminish until it is no longer sufficient tohold the piston-valve G down against the tension of the spring G, thelatter will prevail and the piston-valve G will rise, and, having firstcovered the duct g will spring H will then operate to draw the wheelinto the wind and permit the furling-rod H to ascend and raise thepiston G 9. It will be obvious that this construction will result inholding the mill furled only to such degree as necessary to maintain thetension of air corresponding to the adjustment of the spring G It isdesirable to be able to control the mill independently of the degree oftension, so that it may be furled even when there is no ten sionmaintained in the chambers, and for this purpose means of operating thefurling-rod from the ground are provided. Since the furling-rod has itsslide-bearings in the turntable, so that it revolves around the towerwith the turn-table, it is necessary that connection from it to theground should be made by means which will permit such rotation of the furlin g-rod without requiring the rotation of the lower connectionstherefrom. For this purpose I provide the two collars K and K",encircling the tower-top below the lowermost bearing of the turn-tablethereon, said collars being each made in two parts, so that they can beput together about the tower and secured by bolts 70 through suitablelugs on the collars. The collar K has the horizontal flange k, and thecollar K has the interior groove is, which is adapted to receive theflange 7:, so that when the two collars are fastened together about thetower-top, as seen in Fig. 2, they are mutually engaged againstdisplacement or change of relative position along the axis of the towerby the engagement of the flange 7c in the groove 70. The collar K hasthe lug K to which the lower end of the rod 'be reciprocated vertically.its arms L obtaining guidance in the eyes I, and that the collar K willbe prevented from turning about the tower by its connection with saidyoke, while the swivel-like connection of the two collars K and Kpermits the latter to revolve freely, carried by the furling-rod H, asthe latter is carried by the turn-table in its rotary movement about thetower. In order that the mill may be shut off or furled by an operatorat any point however distant from the mill to which the compressed-airpipe may lead, a shut-off valve S may be provided in the compressed-airpipe at such point, and by closing the same and arresting thereby thedischarge of air the pressure will be forced up to the degree necessaryto operate the automatic fut-ling device above described. I do not limitmyself to the interposition of the cylinder G between the air-pipe O andthe cylinder C The essential requisite is that there is a conduit bywhich the compressed airis admitted above the piston G in the cylinder Gso that its pressure is experienced by the said piston to cause it tooperate the furling-rod.

The cylinder G7 and its piston-valve and spring G are merely means whichpostpone the action of the compressed air on the piston G until acertain degree of pressure, predetermined by the tension of the springG", is attained.

I will now describe certain details of construction which are of minorimportance and action of the air compressed in the cylinders by theupward stroke of the pistons, which are actuated by the cranks ofsaidshaft. The convenience and importance of this feature ofconstructionis that the only portion of said boxes which is likely to requireremoval for repairs and babbitting is the said lower portion or cap, andthat that portion being thus removable such repairs can be made readilyand without dismounting the mill, one or more but not all the boxesbeing removed at a time, while the remainder hold the mill in place.This is a matter of great convenience as compared with any construc--tion in which the portion of the box requiring repairs should be fixedupon the turntable, so that the repairs could only be made by mountingto the top of the tower, and in most cases providing a scafioldingwhereon the operator might stand to do the work, or, asthe onlyalternative, entirely dismounting the structure to bring it to theground for the purpose of repairs. The turn-table com-prising thecylinders and the down wardly-ex-tending arms. which afford the bearingsfor the millshaft and the trunk which aifords'bearings for turn-table onthe tower being all cast together,the cylinders are utilized asa meansof giving stiffness in a horizontal direction to said turn-table, sothat although it is supported only at one pointviz., the trunk with itsweight extended on either side of that support, nevertheless there ispractically no danger of the bearings of the shaft drooping out of line.A further precaution in the same direction consists in making the cap 0for all the cylinders in one piece, so that when secured in place by thebolts which bind it to the several cylinders it adds its strength toprevent any vertical springing of the structure.

The specific construction of the several cylind ers is thesubject-matter of my application, Serial No.404,853,dated Septemberl,1891,and is not claimed herein, but for the purpose of making thedrawings which necessarily illustrate this feature intelligible, I willexplain that the port 00 at a short distance from the upper end of thecylinders which leads in the .chamloer X, which has an exit controlledby the outwardly-seating check-valve X ,serves the purpose of permittingthe air forced in advance of the piston before the latter covers saidport to escape without compression or with only slight compression whenthe piston moves slowly, as under weak action of the mill; but when theaction of the piston is more rapid the smallness of the port a; and alsothe action of the check-valve X, which will be seated by the rapidmovement of the piston, causes a greater proportion of the piston-stroketo be effective in compressing the air. I will also explain theconnection of the pitman B to the piston by means of the elongated eye13 and the interposition of the spring Y between said pitman and piston,and the proximity of the stem of the valve G to the end y of the pit-manbeing such that I the play of the eye on the pivot of the-pitman to thepiston is sufficient to permit the pitman to encounter the stem of thevalve and open the latter, and is a contrivance designed to prevent overpressure of air in the cylinders or discharge connections in case of anystoppage in the latter or derangement of devices for shutting off thepower. Another feature, which is part of the subject-matterof my saidapplication, Serial N 0. 404,853, is the provision of an annularoil-pipe Z at the bottom of the cylinder, into which the-flange G of thepiston dips at each stroke and takes oil to lubricate its path in thecylinder.

I claim- 1. A windmill, the turn-table in which its shaft is journaled,and a tower-top which constitutes the vertical pivotal support of theturn-table, such tower-top being open around.

its vertical axis, combined with air-compressing mechanism on theturn-table and a discharge-pipe from such mechanism coaxial with thetower-top and adapted to extend within the axialopening of the-latter,substantially as set forth.

2. A windmill, its turn-table, and a tubular tower-top on which theturn-table is pivoted, combined with air-compressing mechanism on theturn-table, the discharge-pipe from such mechanism being swiveled to thetubular tower-top, substantially as set forth.

3. A windmill, the turn-table in which its shaft is journaled,and aplurality of air-compressing mechanisms on the turn-table operated bythe windmill-shaft, the air-chambers of said mechanisms communicatingwith a common discharge-pipe, thetower-top to which the turn-table ispivoted being coaxial with said discharge-pipe and having an axialopening large enough to admit the latter, substantially as set forth.

4:. In combination with the turn-table, the air-compressing mechanismmounted thereon and the discharge-passage therefrom, comprising thepipes E and D, one fixed with respect to the turn-table and the otherfixed with respect to the support of the turn-table, said parts beingcoaxial and swiveled together,

their common axis coinciding with the Vertical axis of the turn-table,substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the windmill and the tower-top, the turn-tablehaving a vertical trunk C and the vertical arms 0 and C and thecylinders O C, rigid with each other and with the said trunk and arms,the horizontal bearings for the mill-shaft at the lower ends of saidarms and on said trunk, and the vertical bearings of the turn-table onsaid trunk, whereby the cylinders stiffen the turntable and tend topreserve the shaft-bearings in line, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the mill and the tower-top, the turn-table havinghorizontal bearings for the mill-shaft and vertical bearings for thetower-top and com prising the cylinders C 0, arranged horizontallysideby side and rigid with each other and with the remainder of theturntable, and the arms which afiord bearings for the mill-shaftprojecting downwardly from the base-plane of the cylinders,substantially as set forth.

7 The mill, the tower-top,and the turn-table which has horizontalbearings for the millshaft and vertical bearings for the tower-top, suchturn-table comprising the air-compressing cylinders, combined with thecap-plate 0 having the valve-chambers for all said cylinders and madeintegrally and bolted to all the cylinders, whereby it stiffens theturn-table, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 2d day of September, 1891.

THOMAS O. PERRY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, JEAN ELLIOTT.

